The first wargames show I have been to since 2019. And to be honest, pretty much the first time I have been out in a 'crowd' since February 2020. I think in that time, my going out has been two visits to family on the West Coast, two funerals, and two restaurants, other than the fortnightly game with one other wargamer.
So once I got over my shock at being among people again, as always the venue was Edinburgh College where the bring and buy was in what seemed to be a weights room (all those mirrors) and the games and traders in two decent sized halls. I saw (I think) two people wearing masks. It also came as a shock how close and up personal people want to get - 'in your face' it felt like. But I caught up with a few folk I hadn't seen in years - so that was very pleasant.
So here are the games:
Carentan - Rules - Battlegroup Normandy - Club?
Tunisia - Rules - Battlegroup Normandy - Club - Leuchars
Bautzen - Rules ? - Club - Tyneside
Bautzen again
Blackhawk Down - Rules and Club Unknown
Somewhere in Russia - Rules- Bolt Action - Club - Dunfermline
Somewhere in the West - Rules - Dead Man's Hand - Club - Dunfermline
Edinburgh Playtest Group
Extreme G Racing - Glasgow??
Trouble in The Borders - Rules - Border Wars - Flags of War
Frostgrave
Adam Park (Singapore) - Rules ? - Club - Gothenburg Gamers
Adam Park (Singapore) - 2
Imjin River in 6mm - Rules - All Hell Let Loose - Club ?
Iron Brigade
Samurai Naval - Rules -? - Club - Kirriemuir
Battle of Lemnos - Rules - ? - Club - Gourock
Viva Mexico - Rules - Sharp Practice 2 - Club - ??
Pod Racing
Pydna - Massed Pike
Pydna 2 - Rules - 'Nemo me Impune Lacessit' (unpublished) - Club - Immortals
Pydna Details
Mons Graupius - Rules - Strength & Honour - Charley
Sci Fi?
Indian Mutiny - Rules - ? - Club - SPIT
Test of Resolve - unsure of Club
Not a clue, but all the buildings are available from Warbases!
So that was it. I have to say, none of the games really inspired me. The Imjin River one is superb but in my view, the impact is limited by the scale. I liked the Iron Brigade game a lot. The Indian Mutiny game had visual impact but I would have preferred the MDF buildings to be tarted up a bit, the Mexican game suffered form the same thing. The Mons Graupius game was very cool, but I can hardly complain about Imjin in 6mm and let Charley get away with 2mm...
And what of loot... ? well, I felt obliged to spend some hard earned on Perry plastic, and Supreme Littleness Designs do some fantastic MDF buildings... a rummage in Colonel Bill's 50p bargain bin usually pays dividends, and then a Russian School from Warbases, and some Wild Boar. also Warbases. Finally in addition to some decals, I picked up some Pendraken 10mm Early WW2 French to go with all the vehicles I have been printing.
Couple of Indian Mutiny, Russian Flamethrower, WW2 Italian Officer and casualty.
I was handed the inflatable shell.. no, I don't know either...
On the whole a pleasant day out. And it looks like being the only wargames show in Scotland this year.
Test of Resolve is published and has been since April 2021. see testofresolve.com Great set of pictures
ReplyDeleteThanks David, I will update when I get back to the laptop.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see all the pics - as I often mention to you lucky people in the UK and US, here in New Zealand, we just don't really have anything similar by way of shows/conventions. In my extreme youth (45 years ago or so), I did attend two or three big shows - two in Edinburgh and one in Glasgow, with a couple of like-minded schoolmates and my dad (we were young enough to need a responsible adult to travel 100 miles to the Big Cities!) Very fond memories and I wish I had the time and money to plan a UK trip with one or two gaming mates here and spend two or three weeks going to as many shows as we could fit in!
ReplyDeleteWell, it seems like there's going to be a bit of a shake out in shows. Not all of them look like coming back after Covid. But even so, there still seem to be a lot of major shows in a fairly small geographic area. I feel for you in NZ.
DeleteThanks for all the photos and commentary.
ReplyDeleteCheers Doug, very much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteWillz.
No problem Willz, pleasant day out, and as I said, caught up with a few people, Michael Scott from Supreme Littleness, Alan & Martin from VWC, Steve Shaw and Charles Grant among others.
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